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Microsoft to Unveil Tablet at CES
Tue Dec, 2010 by Derek Mehraban
Microsoft is now ready to jump into the tablet market. Although Microsoft had unveiled a prototype in 2000 that project had been shelved until Apple’s iPad resurrected the need for it again.
Supposedly, Steve Balmer will announce and show several different models made by different manufacturers at the 2011 CES. The Samsung device, and possibly more, includes a slideout keyboard but tends to mimic the iPad in size and weight.
Photo Credit: Helablog
The premise of the iPad competitor is to run Windows 7 and move beyond Play, which is how the iPad will characterized. The tablets are designed for business people who want a tablet like an iPad but may also want a full range of powerful productivity suites, particularly Microsoft Office.
Besides another competitor for the display advertising market, applications will be built in HTML5 and will not be sold through an applications store. This will open up room for marketers to try new models of display ads and new pricing structures.
NY Times: Microsoft to Announce New Slates Aimed at the iPad
What about Silverlight? My understanding is that Silverlight is the de facto development tool/environment/paradigm for the new Windows Phone OS; I would assume it’s true of the pad, too, since it’s going to use “apps.”
Also, could you please give me some idea what separates this tablet in terms of functionality from a regular Windows 7 machine that HTML 5 and/or Silverlight apps are even necessary (rather than regular software)?